Artspark! – Positive rolemodels in community learning

Here’s a quick sneak peak at a shoot I did on the weekend at Sherman Cymru for Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Arts Development scheme Artspark! I’m still working on the edit, but looking at the photos today has inspired me on what to write for my blog this week.

Created in 2014, Artspark! creates opportunities for exceptionally talented students in Caerphilly to get some extra curricular learning in subjects they’re particularly interested in… ART!

The students who take part are nominated by their schools to be involved in the scheme, rewarding students recognised as being exceptionally talented in the class room with extra opportunities to find out more about the art forms they’re passionate about.  Whether it be visual or performing arts, dance, or film and video, Artspark! offers these children a chance to develop their skills with others their age, and introduce them to groups, clubs or organisations that can support them in following their interests further.  It’s inspiring stuff – if I’m honest, I get just as much reward seeing the difference these sessions have on the children taking part as I do taking photographs of the activities they do.

This is one of two community focused projects I am working on at the moment (the other one being The Project Space in my local community of Newport – for more information please visit: theprojectspacenewport.wordpress.com ), and the more I get involved the more I want to shout from the roof tops how worthwhile they are!  As well as that, the people involved in delivering the projects do so because it is what they are passionate about.  Whether it be painting, dancing, acting or potato stamping, I can not think of any better role models for young people to meet, talk with and learn from about their passion in the arts. It’s that makes them tick.

Days like these, sat at my computer editing these photographs, I realise how lucky I am to be able to follow my passion and work as part of the artistic community. I know what a difference it made to me having teachers who both inspired and encouraged me to find out about new artists, new materials, new books as well as above all, to practise practise practise. I’m so proud to be at least a small part of the team inspiring the next generation of artists – I just can’t wait to photograph the next session.

To find out more information about the Artspark! scheme run by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Arts Development team, please contact project leader Kate Verity at: VERITK@CAERPHILLY.GOV.UK

That’s all for this week,

Kate x